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Magic
Magic is the umbrella term given to the influence of natural forces by unnatural means. It is unnatural in the sense that not everyone shows the capability of performing magic, whereas most typical men and women can lift a small rock and throw it or start a fire when equipped with the right equipment. Types of magical powers (inclination) include wind manipulation, shapeshifting, fire starting, and healing. Magical items are such things as luck amulets and pregnancy charms. The use of magic has been in existence for longer than recorded history, with evidence being the Blue Caravan's discovery of magical runes within Albrind's ancient tunnel networks. Oronia is said to be the most magical place in all of Albrind, although whether this is an accurate fact or simply a saying is as of yet unknown. Mechanism In the world, there is a type of energy commonly referred to as Mana which exists about the earth much like air does. Mana in its natural state is unusable and unreactive (much like nitrogen or phosphorus in the air), and it is only when it is collected ('fixed') and its flow 'channeled' can mana lead to any magical result. Channeling magic requires a conscience as much as a limb requires a mind to move it. These two stages of being fixed and then channeled are conducted within one or more vessels, such as a person or an enchanted weapon. Although mana can be comparable to gases such as nitrogen or phosphorus in that they need to be converted in order to be used, the environment in any given place would never run out of mana. Mana is not consumed by a magic user as oxygen is consumed by a flame. Thus, the strength of magic use is not defined by the amount of mana available, but rather by the vessel's ability to fix and channel mana. It is important to note that the mechanism of magic is OOC knowledge. As there has been no way of measuring mana or proving the existence of it, as well as a limited number of people who can use magic, the mechanism of magic has yet to be explored within the context of the story. Many people simply attribute magic to religious grants. Types While the mechanism of fixing and channeling mana is unknown, a few main types of magic are 'officially' recognized. Internal Magic Internal magic looks at the individual. It is defined by the ability to use magic (i.e. fix mana as well as channel it) without any accessory equipment so as to lead to a result. Mana can be channeled internally into other objects to be fixed (i.e. enchanting them) if that is the individual's inclination. Chanting can also help the fixing and/or channeling of mana but it is not a requirement, nor does it help with all inclinations. In terms of genetics, internal magic exhibits a quantitive trait effect, and thus it requires a certain threshold number of 'magic' genes in order to grant the user some degree of magic capabilities (it is similar to a battery, where performance is not impacted until it reaches a certain low energy state). After this threshold, the greater number of 'magic' genes the person has, the better capable they are in fixing and channeling mana. The quantitative nature of internal magic and the implicit threshold is the reason there are some magical individuals who are born into families that have no previous record of magical powers, and why the opposite is also true. The phenotype (observable trait) of a magic gene is also under environmental influence, so while an individual may have the right genes to have the potential to employ internal magic, an uninvolved lifestyle may result in the magical power never coming to fruition. Like any skill, internal magic can be honed with training and practice, but the maximum potency that can ever be achieved with it varies with the individual. The ability to perform internal magic is not common within Albrind, and while no census has been conducted, it has been estimated that no more than 20% of people show any degree of internal magical talent, and the majority of it is not very strong. This statistic is more or less the same for any other land outside of Albrind. External Magic External magic is of the type that can either fix, channel, or do both with magic without the user's internal ability to do so. As such, internal magic users can also employ external magic. Objects that use external magic comprises of such things as talismans, amulets or tattoos in order to fix magic, although due to the nature of the action, any channeling of magic typically requires a spell or a conscious mind to perform. An object that can only fix external magic would be like a sponge. Some magic negating potions work in this fashion. External magic does not require certain genes to use it. There does exist, however, individuals who can only channel magic and are not able to fix it. These people require items, often in the form of jewellery, to externally fix magic which they can then use. Magic Negation Magic negation centres around using magic to inhibit the fixing and/or channeling of magic. It is a largely unexplored realm of theory, mainly because of the lack of prominency of magic in the world to begin with. Shahrazad has scholars investigating this field of research in order to support its city's laws, but in the West, this topic remains vastly uninvestigated. Witchcraft Witchcraft is particularly dangerous in that it is not tied down by an inclination. Witchcraft is defined as the adding of a witch's body part (typically hair, skin or saliva, with the most potent being blood) into recipes of regularly harmless ingredients to create something extraordinary. The liquids and dust that result can be stored in containers for future use. There is no variation in the potency of witch blood – all witch blood is the same. Witchcraft is illegal in Albrind. Witchcraft works by way of Mendelian inheritance. In other words, one either has the witchcraft gene or they don't. It is possible to have both witchcraft and internal magical powers, but it is unlikely, which suggests that witchcraft has the power to turn off the latter or at least diminish its potency. Witches can be born when there is no family history of witchcraft by a mutation in the witch gene. Magic in Albrind Within Shahrazad Magic is illegal in Shahrazad by royal decree. While there have been members of the higher class have gotten away with having internal magical capabilities by consenting to magic negation within the city, this is a little known fact and many more have simply been imprisoned. Magic had not been banned in the city a little over 50 years ago. While there are stories and fables dictating why, the real reason remains unknown. In the West Magic users are free to practice their art in the West. The King has a committee that is in charge of regulating and investigating magic in his kingdom.